Leaders of three northern Arizona tribes advocated for a comprehensive water rights settlement this week in Washington D.C. It comes two months after they unanimously approved the deal that’s been in negotiations for decades.
Navajo President Buu Nygren and Hopi Vice Chairman Craig Andrews testified Tuesday before the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries on behalf of a bipartisan bill to finalize the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement.
The proposal is the largest of its kind in U.S. history and would resolve all claims to the Colorado River for the Navajo, Hopi and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.
“No one in America should be denied access to water because of where they live,” said Nygren during his testimony. “(The settlement) will provide certainty for our homeland’s future and an equal opportunity for the Navajo people.”
The deal would bring nearly 45,000 acre-feet of water from the river’s Upper Basin to the Navajo Nation along with water from the Little Colorado River and the portions of the Navajo and Coconino aquifers underneath the reservation.
It would also fund a pipeline to divert Colorado River water from the LeChee Chapter near Page to numerous other Navajo communities.
The settlement includes $5 billion in water infrastructure that would bring tap water to tens of thousands of residents who currently rely on hauled water.
Tribal officials say the increased access is crucial to growing their economies, protecting public health and preserving culture amid climate change and increased water scarcity.
About a third of Navajo households lack running water.
During his testimony Nygren urged Congress to end what he called a “water crisis” on the reservation.
The legislation and settlement would also create an official homeland for the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, the only federally recognized tribe in Arizona without a designated reservation.
